Welcome

Thoughts on fitness, health, good nutrition ... and running.

Welcome to Bald Man Running, a blog launched by Frank Murphy on January 1, 2015.

In March, 2013 I was selected as a contestant for the sixth season of Fort Wayne's Smallest Winner. Through this amazing program, I learned about good nutrition, sound exercise and accountability. By October, I would lose over 88 pounds (almost 37% of my original weight)! One of the many things I acquired through FWSW was a love for running. You can retrace my weight loss journey and discover how I became a runner by reading those entries labeled "fwsw" ...

Note: Many of the blog entries on this website predate 1/1/2015. Prior to launching BMR, I had written articles for various projects, and I have imported many of them into this blog (labeled "retro").

Thursday, April 4, 2013

Busted

Well, the gig (or is it jig?) is up. If you've read my first entry (see below), my grand plan was to wait until people noticed that I had lost weight, and when they asked what I was doing, then I would spring FWSW on them. Plan busted.

Today was my first day back to work since the morning workouts have started. Everything was fine until I went to pick up something from the printer. A co-worker almost immediately asked what was wrong. I played dumb. He thought I had injured myself in some way. So, someone did indeed notice something different, but it wasn't the pounds melting away ... it was my inability to walk like a normal person.

I've since learned that the muscles really killing me right now are called quads, which I think comes from an ancient Greek root word meaning "ow ow ow ow ow." I also learned that the pain is a good sign. When big muscles are screaming like that, it means more calories are being burned.

Once I realized I had no chance of keeping my semi-secret to the next weigh-in, I did what any sane man would do and spilled the beans. Everyone has been really positive and supportive. I'm not surprised because I know the folks I work with, and they're top notch folks. What is surprising is when strangers interrupt their busy day to give me encouragement. Why should they care if Uncle Fester (I've been told I look like him) loses a little weight?

If you've thought of getting in shape, but are worried about what others might think, trust me on this ... you'll be floored at the genuine support that just sprouts up around you.